Hazards and dangers are present wherever we are and in whatever we do. Most of these dangers are unforeseeable, taking various forms, and may lurk everywhere.
However, we are not going to talk about dangers of a human predatory nature or any danger posed by economic or personal downturn. We are going to talk about health risks that may be caused by hazardous chemicals/substances/materials. And we will also talk about how we can remain safe and compliant while doing our jobs while in our place of work.
Chemicals and hazardous substances come in a variety of forms, including gases, powder, liquid, solid, or dust. Chemical exposure in the workplace can cause a variety of short- and long-term health effects, including poisoning, skin rashes, lung, kidney, and liver disorders.
In addition to changing lives, accidents can cost your company a significant amount of time and money in compensation. Although safety procedures will not prevent all accidents, they can reduce risk factors, reducing occurrences and potential damage.
The good news is, you can keep yourself and your workmates safe and stay compliant by following rules in storing hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
Some Steps to Ensure Workplace Safety.
No matter how many safety guidelines and practices you might have set in place, they won’t be able to do any good if employees aren’t aware and invested in following those guidelines.
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Keep a Tidy Workplace.
A cleaner workplace is a safer place not only for you, but your co-workers as well. May they be tools, equipment, most especially chemicals that should be stored in safety storage cabinets or cages as mandated by law.
Assessing and addressing problem areas significantly reduce the risk of things going wrong. Think about big and small factors; for example, chemical leaks or spills that can be addressed by using spill kit solutions and/or using safety storage solutions.
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Inspect and Maintain Equipment.
By routinely inspecting and maintaining machinery, equipment, and dangerous goods may seem an obvious step in preventing dangerous accidents, but it does help in preventing anything untoward.
Checking storage areas can save lives as easily as maintaining heavy equipment. Regular inspections are still considered best practice and still the safest choice for any job to remain safe.
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Create and Implement a Safety Plan.
Every workplace should have a comprehensive safety plan available to workers, contractors, and visitors. There are some clear risk factors that should be outlined, for example, the use of PPEs in the event of hazardous chemical spills.
But a good safety plan should go even further than that. Each workplace is unique and will have unique risk factors and challenges in maintaining the safety of workers. Ensure to routinely assess your working environments for potential evolving hazards and update your safety plan accordingly, and make sure that these safety plans are known to all employees and visitors.
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Provide Proper Safety Training.
Proper safety trainings and procedures is an essential step in preventing accidents. It also gives your people the proper capability to handle the situation in the event untoward incidents occur.
A dedicated safety officer must be appointed not only to maintain incident logs, but also to work with employees and management to remove or reduce factors that may lead to safety problems.
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Always be Aware of Your Surroundings.
Every job site presents inherent dangers, being aware of your surroundings is one of the best ways to keep yourself safe. The more aware you are of your surroundings, the more you’ll be aware to spot and avoid potential hazards.
Why Use Safety Storage Solutions in the Workplace?
Safety is a prime importance in any workplace. Employers and their employees need to keep in mind that their safety and health is paramount to all operations and planning in a workspace.
Dangerous goods require careful handling, presence of mind, and of course in compliance with existing regulations to minimise risks associated with mishandling the dangerous goods and substances in the workplace.
Australian Safety Standards lists down specific requirements for proper storage, handling, and transport of dangerous goods and hazardous substances. These substances are classified into nine separate classes covering:
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- Class 1: Explosives
- Class 2: Gases
- Class 3: Flammable liquids
- Class 4: Flammable solids
- Class 5: Oxidising substances and organic peroxides
- Class 6: Toxic and infectious substances
- Class 7: Radioactive materials
- Class 8: Corrosive substances
- Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles.
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Each of the classes detailed above are required by law to be stored in specialised storage to be assured they remain safe and not cause anything untoward that can be prevented by storing them in compliant storage containers/cabinets.
The Australian Government’s Work Health and Safety Act 2011, provides clear guidelines which aims to protect the health, safety and welfare of all people in the workplace. In addition, it covers safety and health protection of all people who might be affected by said work.
To be able to meet work-safe obligations, Wholesale Safety Storage Australia (WSSA) can provide you with safe storage and handling systems that are manufactured right here in Australia, made for Australian conditions, and meet stringent Australian Standards.
Investing for Success Means Investing in Safety.
In addition to ensuring all employees understand and implement safety best practices, managers and business owners should ensure employees are offered training that will reduce risk. As well as provide solutions to store hazardous and dangerous goods safely and compliantly.
Investing in WSSA Dangerous Goods Storage is not only a valuable way of avoiding workplace accidents, but it also means your business complies with required national and workplace codes in Australia.
You can guarantee a more productive work environment by keeping your employees safe. At Workplace Safety Storage Australia, we are dedicated to developing safety storage products that address specific workplace hazards.
Check out our recommended ways and more tips on how you can maintain a healthier and safer working environment by visiting our articles page.